Real Talk Presents A Conversation About Vaping

The Vernon ROCKS Coalition presented the 2018-2019 Rockville High School PRIDE survey results to the public on December 5th, 2019 at 6:30 PM at Vernon Center Middle School.

Members of Real Talk discussed the school’s data, focusing on annual and monthly use, Protective Factors, and RHS’s results compared to state and national data.

It was an informative presentation for parents to understand the community’s strengths and where improvement could occur to make The Town of Vernon a better place for youth to grow up in, enabling them to thrive. After the results were shared the Coalition hosted a panel discussion on vaping prevention featuring guest speaker and panelists Barbara Walsh from the CT DPH Tobacco Control Program , the Vernon P.D. School Resources Officer, the Vernon Public School’s primary physician, and a representative from the North Central District Health Department. It was a great turnout and we hope everyone had a good, informative time.

Pictured below: Members of Real Talk who presented the local high school data

Pictured below: Members of Real Talk and panelists including Barbara Walsh from the CT Tobacco Control Program; Patrice Sulik from the North Central District Health Department; Officer Wells, the School Resource Officer; and Dr. Ellen Marmer, the Vernon Public Schools Primary Physician.

Unfortunately, sexual minorities often face social stigma, discrimination, and other challenges like violence and harassment, not experienced by those who identify as heterosexual. These challenges mixed with other stressors lead sexual minorities to be at an increased risk for substance use. According to SAMHSA, substance use disorders affect 20 to 30% of the LGBTQIA+ population, compared to 8.4% of the general population. People who identify as gay and lesbian are more than twice as likely as those who identify as heterosexual to have a severe alcohol or tobacco use disorder. That number raises to three times as likely for people who identify as bisexual, and five times as likely for people who are unsure how to identify their sexuality (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2017). The Vernon ROCKS Coalition wants everyone to know there are supportive people, and resources to help and you are not alone. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. Visit our website for more information. www.vernonrocksct.org/pride-month/... See MoreSee Less